UFC Vegas 15: Jonathan Pearce def. Kai Kamaka III via TKO

UFC Vegas 15: Jonathan Pearce def. Kai Kamaka III via TKO
Jonathan Pearce (L), Kai Kamaka (R)

‘The Fighting Hawaiian’, Kai Kamaka took on Jonathan Pearce at UFC Vegas 15, who’s coming off a loss from his last fight. Both men are unranked and were looking to secure a top- 15 spot in the featherweight rankings.

Round 1: Pearce started with two front kicks of which one connects with Kamaka. Kamaka returns a body kick that catches Pearce in the midsection. Kamaka continues to punish Pearce with another body shot and consecutive low kicks. Pearce finally counters with a right only to face a two-punch combo from Kamaka followed by a low kick. Kamaka continues with a combo then lands hard with a low kick. Pearce throws a kick, misses and pulls guard.

Two minutes in. Kamaka, mixing it up with body jabs and punishing leg kicks. Pearce lands a 1-2. Kamaka lands a leg kick to which Pearce responds with a push kick. Pearce feigns a knee. Kamaka tried to connect with a few left-hand jabs. Pearce with throw a half-hearted single. Pearce switches it up and manages to get a takedown on Kamaka. Kamaka bares his back allowing Pearce to secure a backpack position. The two men seem to have butted heads accidentally in a scramble. Close round.

Round 2: Pearce with a takedown at the start of the round, managing to secure a backpack position, but Kamaka throws him off. Both men stand up and face each other in the center of the ring one minute in. Pearce connects with a dangerous right hook. Pearce, in a change of pace, now becoming the dominant striker, lands a knee in the clinch and scores another takedown. Kamaka tries to get back up, but Pearce is on training punches and locking him up. Kamaka gets up momentarily only to be dragged back down to the mat by Pearce.

Kamaka faces Pearce’s fearsome ground and pound in Round 2

Pearce punishing Kamaka from back mount

Pearce lands rights and lefts on Kamaka setting him up for a guillotine but doesn’t manage to secure it. Pearce continues with a flurry of rights. Kamaka somehow reverses and scrambles to get top control. Lands a big right on Pearce, gets his back, they’re standing now. Pearce lands a right,to which Kamaka responds with a rear-naked choke. Close to the end of the rounds, Pearce manages a reversal, again with back mount, raining lefts and rights on a nearly defenseless Kamaka. Pearce keeps the punches coming. Referee, Miragliotta, finally steps in and ends the fight at four minutes and twenty-eight seconds of the second round.

Result: Jonathan Pearce def. Kai Kamaka III via TKO— Round 2, 4:28

Also read; UFC Vegas 15: Smith vs Clark ; Preliminary results